This invention relates generally to methods to configuring identifier values for proximity beacons to be consistent within a physical local context, and optionally, to be consistent within a enterprise-wide physical and/or geographical context.
Proximity beacons including Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) beacons which are small, often hidden from view, electronic devices that emit wireless signals within a short range in compliance with the Bluetooth wireless public specifications. For example, the minimum range of transmission and reception from a BLE beacon may be set to as small as 1 meter (−30 dBm configuration) to as wide as 50 meters (0 dBm configuration) for devices complying with the transmission power and reception signal capture specifications. Other wireless proximity beacons may utilize other signal formats and protocols, and as such, may have different effective ranges. Proximity beacons come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, many of which run on a single battery for an extended period of time, and some of which actual harvest ambient light to recharge their batteries, thereby offering very long service-free operational lives.
Many uses are envisioned for proximity beacons. Initially, they were intended to solve the problem that satellite signals from Global Positioning Systems (GPS) were not reliably received inside structures (offices, hotels, shopping malls, hospitals, etc.), so navigation applications on mobile devices tended to be disabled when a user enters a structure. Proximity beacons are installed by structure owners and operators throughout their facilities to provide for short-range navigation within the structure. Application programs (“apps”) running on mobile devices such as cellular phones, smart phones, tablet computers, netbooks, laptop computers, and body-worn technology (e.g., smart watches, smart pendants, smart glasses, etc.) use the mobile device's short range wireless transceiver (Bluetooth, near-field communication, Zigby, etc.) to detect when the mobile device has moved within range of one or more proximity beacons. This information can then be used by the app to provide a wide range of useful information and functions to the user, not the least of which is map navigation within the facility, reception of advertisements and commercial offers, and various safety and security functions such as location of the nearest exits, nearest elevators, and restrooms.
A key element of successful operation of proximity beacons in this context is for each beacon to have an identifier which is at least unique within the physical context (e.g. within the building, office, hospital, hotel, school, mall, etc.), if not globally unique. To aid in this uniqueness, most proximity beacons are manufactured and configured to have default unique identifiers which include variations of random values, manufacturer indicators, and serial numbers. In the present state of technology, these preset or default unique identifier values can be used directly in the application programs which wish to leverage the available proximity beacons in a structure.